


Night Terrors

by Nicowafer



Category: Tintin - All Media Types
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Male Friendship, Male Slash, Older Man/Younger Man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-16
Updated: 2013-01-16
Packaged: 2017-11-25 17:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/641181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicowafer/pseuds/Nicowafer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tintin has a bad dream and Haddock comes to the rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Terrors

It was the screaming that had awakened the captain as he sat in his chair, dozing lightly. He leapt from his seat in a panic, spilling the half glass of whiskey he had been nursing and toppling the plush chair as he ran up the stairs towards the source of the scream. Nestor must of heard it too for he was right behind Haddock.

“Ten thousand thundering typhoons! It's coming from Tintin's room. TINTIN!” It sounded as if the boy was being attacked, attacked in his own home. The terrorists! Mongrels! Buccaneers! The pair, butler and master opened the door swiftly, not wasting any time. Snowy was backed into a corner, yapping loudly and Tintin was in his bed, but he wasn't resting peacefully; he was struggling against an invisible assailant, twisting into his covers and entangling himself hopelessly in the mess.

“Tintin! Tintin, wake up, lad, it's only a dream.”

“Noooooo!” Tintin cried out. The captain had rushed forward to try to stop the boy and had instead received a punch right in the jaw, a punch meant for whoever was attacking Tintin in his nightmare. As his fist made contact with something hard, Tintin awoke in a fright. Nestor stood in the doorway, shocked, yet keeping a look of surprise off his face. The captain was at his bedside holding his jaw trying to alleviate the pain.

“Oh...oh captain....I...” The words felt choked in his throat, he seemed on the verge of tears, not only from the dream, which had been terrifying enough, but also from the fact he had caused such a ruckus and awakened the household.

“I'll get you something for that, sir.” Nestor was off like a shot to perform some action to help the situation, just as he always seemed to be able to, though perhaps he just wanted to allow the boy to cry in private. The captain looked up from his cursing to see the boy in his tangle of blankets, trying desperately not to cry. Snowy made his move then, jumping back onto the bed and placing his paws securely on his master's thigh, a look of worry on his expressive doggy face.

“Now, now, lad, it’s all right. Been hit harder in the head than that, nothing to worry about.” But it was too late, the tears fell and the boy began sobbing like a child, his hair sticking up in multiple directions from his haphazard sleeping. He buried his face in his hands and the captain stood, seemingly at a loss. Resolving that he had to do something Haddock stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed, placing a comforting arm around the boy, rocking him gently.

“Come now, no more tears. It was only a dream.”

“I...mm, so...sorrrry...” The words came out in half choked sobs that racked the boy's body even as the captain tried to rock him steady, like a ship on calm seas.

“Nothing wrong with a little cry after a doozy of a dream. You just let it out and I'll be here when you’re ready.” It took several more minutes of crying before Tintin was able to breath normally again, all the while the captain rocked him gently, patting his shaking shoulders with a comforting hand.

“There now, all done. Now what got you so worked up?” The captain pulled away from him a bit to get a better look at his face as he tried to clear it of tears from his cheeks which were red and streaked with tears and sweat. The captain raised his hand from the boy's shoulders to pat down his hair, that incorrigible quiff staying put.

“Just a dream, but it seemed so real.”

“They always do, lad, especially the bad ones. A pity the good ones never seem to do that.” The captain gave a sigh and resumed his gentle rocking again. Tintin felt comforted just from the presence of the captain and so leaned his face into the soft cotton that was the captain's nightshirt, relishing the coolness of the fabric.

Nestor was back; a tray of milk and cookies in his grasp. He set them down. “I thought perhaps a bit of warm milk would help, sir.” And just like that, he was gone again. Somehow that man always knew what needed to be done and did it, usually without the captain even having to holler for it.

“Come on now, get your spirits up.” He offered the milk to Tintin who drank it gratefully.

“All men have bad dreams, some worse than others.” Haddock said, picking up a cookie from the tray. Tintin sighed, setting the milk on the side table, half finished.

“I couldn't save you, captain.” Haddock stopped mid bite as he heard Tintin's confession. “I couldn't save any of them.” Tintin felt the lump return to his throat and tried to swallow in vain, the tears pricking his eyes once more.

“Gibberish! You'd always save everyone, Tintin, of that I have no doubt.” The cookie was bitten in half and the sailor chewed it thoughtfully. 

“What if I can't? ...What if I didn't? ...There have been so many close calls.”

“You always make it in time, you always think of something. Come on, let's get you out of this mess and lay you back in bed now.” The captain helped Tintin untangle the mess of blankets and put his pillows to rights, finally placing the little dog, which had been sniffing about for a cookie, next to the boy where he belonged, the bed and the boy put to rights.

“Will...will you lay with me, captain...” Tintin blushed, he felt like a child, crying for its mother. “Just until I fall asleep again.” The captain stared down at the boy for a moment, contemplating this. He wasn't sure he should, however, he knew that if Tintin were asking it was something important, something he should do and so the salty dog motioned for the boy to scoot over, causing Snowy to vacate his spot next to his master, and as the captain laid down the little dog found a rather excellent spot for himself on the captain's stomach.

“There. Comfortable?” Haddock commented as he lay back in the bed, his head half on the pillow. Tintin scooted closer and laid his own head on the captain's shoulder.

“Very. Thank you.” The captain, unsure of this situation took a deep breath, the silence pressed in on him and several moments later he was talking again.

“Good...welll, I'm no optimist, Tintin...but there is one thing in this world I can depend on. That's you. Whenever we get in trouble, whenever the world looks darkest, you always seem to be there to pick up the pieces. I guess what I'm sayin' is, you...” The captain glanced down to where Tintin's head lulled on his shoulder and found that not only was Tintin asleep, but so was his little dog. The sailor was trapped. Trapped in a canopy of boy and his dog, the funny thing was he didn't seem to mind much.


End file.
